The Holy See signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4
December 1997, ratified on 17 February 1998, and became a State Party on 1 March
1999. Implementation legislation is considered unnecessary as the Holy See
states that it has never possessed or used antipersonnel
mines.[1] The Holy See attended
the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in September 2002, and also participated in
intersessional Standing Committee meetings in February and May 2003. An Article
7 transparency report was submitted to the UN in 2003, indicating no
changes.[2] This is the Holy
See’s third Article 7
Report.[3]
The Holy See is a State Party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons and
its Amended Protocol II, and submitted its annual report under Article 13 of the
Protocol on 1 October 2002. It attended the Fourth Annual Conference of States
Parties to the Protocol in December 2002.
[1] Article 7 Report, Form A, 5 April
2002. [2] An Article 7 Report, dated 26
February 2003 and covering calendar year 2002, has been received by the UN, but
not yet posted to the official website as of 20 July
2003. [3] Article 7 Report, 5 April 2002
(for the period January 2000–December 2001); Article 7 Report, 28 August
1999 (for the period February 1998–August 1999).